The mushrooms on the chopping board looked ordinary. They were vivid and had a delightful earthiness. Once cooked with cheese, they transformed into a creamy pasta sauce. A quick taste confirmed their rich, lion’s mane flavor. But these weren’t just any mushrooms; they had an extraordinary journey.
These special fungi spent time at the International Space Station (ISS) before returning to Australia in 2025. They traveled to space as part of an experiment to understand how edible mushrooms might perform in microgravity.
Author provided, CC BY
In August 2024, we launched 36 vials in a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Inside were three types of edible fungi: lion’s mane, turkey’s tail, and cordyceps. These mushrooms can support brain health, gut health, and immune function—important factors for astronauts on long missions.
This experiment was our sixth payload, designed with help from 12 students at Haileybury College in Melbourne. We collaborated with professional mushroom growers to ensure the strains were healthy enough for the space environment.
While the mushrooms were orbiting Earth, they had a very different experience compared to the astronauts. They were securely packed to maintain a stable temperature for nearly a month, protected from potential damage.
NASA, CC BY-SA
Once back on Earth, we placed our mycelium into nutrient-rich soil. We set up different grow kits to observe the best conditions for growth. To our excitement, within days, mushrooms began to sprout, and within a week, we were ready to cook with our very own lion’s mane mushrooms.
In addition to enjoying these mushrooms, we are analyzing them further. Early results indicate that the low-gravity environment didn’t harm our fungi; instead, they thrived and produced multiple harvests.
As NASA prepares for the upcoming Artemis II mission to the moon, understanding how to support astronauts nutritionally on prolonged missions is crucial. The low-gravity environment impacts human health, making nutrient-rich food essential. We also need to determine if food grown in space can withstand radiation and other stresses that may lessen its nutritional value.
Our research with these mushrooms aims to provide answers that could enhance the future of space travel.
